A Vote of Confidence
by Tali

notes: Set in the Found!verse, by Lament. I don't like it that much, but would like to get feedback. One shot.

spoilers: Lost Son

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"Don't worry about it," Speed said as he waited half heartedly to see if he had broken through, if Eric had heard him. He hadn't, and continued to tap a pencil against the breakroom table. "You'll do fine," he said trying again feebly. Eric exhaled, and a glimmer of hope flickered in Speed's eyes. Or they would have, had Speed been still alive.

"If half the idiots in Graveyard shift can pass...." Eric trailed off, and looked back toward the pencil. Tap. Tap. Tap.

"Then you can," Speed murmured, finishing Eric's thought. Speed didn't know why Eric was putting himself through this. He was a good CSI, probably more cut out for the job then he was. "Since when did you become a pessimist?" he asked, walking closer. Eric was still tapping that pencil. Tap. Tap. Tap. He felt like screaming "ERIC, HORATIO'S IN LOVE WITH YOU!" at the top of his lungs, just to see if it would make any impact. Heh, that was a funny thought though, if H--

Eric had suddenly stood up, and was right about to walk past him, to the door. Reaching out, his hand gripped around Eric's shoulder. Speed looked at his hand amazed, because lately it seemed he was becoming harder and harder to touch anything, or for anybody to hear him. Eric had now stopped and was staring at his shoulder, eyes wide.

"Maybe the idiots are right. Maybe this place is haunted." He seemed to entertain this idea for a few moments before shaking his head and muttering something rather unintelligible.

Speed wanted to see how much control he had. He was stronger then Eric, and tried to forcefully turn him around. It partially worked, he supposed, because Eric started moving and he didn't have to put any effort into it at all really.

"Hey Eric." Speed said, holding his breath.

"I'm going crazy. I'm seriously going crazy. It must be the test, the stress..." Eric looked so hopeless, and slightly frantic, that Speed just had to laugh. He didn't even realize he was doing it, or that Eric's head had snapped up, and had frozen.

"Speed?" Eric asked tentatively, and Speed's mind was screaming "Yes! He heard me! He can feel me!"

"Delko?" Speed asked mockingly, it was a safety reflex, because he didn't know what he was going to say. He had never thought this far, had never really gotten this far with anybody in the past few months he had been 'haunting' the CSI HQ.

"It must be my imagination," Eric's gaze travelled to his shoulder, where Speed's hand was still resting.

Speed suddenly felt he was going to lose Eric, that Eric would walk away, or that he wouldn't be able to touch him for any longer, or worse still, talk to him. Without thinking, he began to walk closer, and of course Eric couldn't know this, because he had learnt that nobody could see him. So to be fair to Eric, he was never given the chance to recoil, step away, turn his head. The point being, he wasn't able to see it coming, and wasn't able to react normally when Speed kissed him.

Speed kept his eyes open, watching Eric's reaction. It was pure shock at first, but then he seemed to relax. They stayed like that for a few more moments, before he pulled away. It truly was a 'ghostly kiss', something special effects nowadays would be able to make wonderfully and convincingly. Well, except for Eric. He truly knows now what it's like to be kissed by a ghost. Sorry. We're getting off track.

After Speed pulled away, Eric turned pale, and his gaze went to his shoulder, where Speed's hand still rested. Bringing two fingers up to his mouth Eric looked shocked. At the same moment Speed started to...flicker, and as much as he hated it, he knew he had to pull away. As soon as his hand left Eric's shoulder, he felt himself begin to flicker, and fade again. Closing his eyes, he managed out a strangeled "Bye" before disappearing from the break room and reappearing in the entrance to the HQ.

Picking up his phone, Eric speed-dialed Horatio. "H? Yeah, I'm ready for the test. Do you know how soon they can schedule it? Today maybe?"

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End

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the test referenced is the test from CSI level I to to CSI level II after three years. They made reference to this on CSI: New York A Man a Mile.